NSW seeking to attract biggest ever Chinese tourism influx in 2015

The NSW Government will focus on doubling the value of Chinese tourism to NSW by 2020, following the success of Vivid Sydney 2014.

NSW seeking to attract biggest ever Chinese tourism influx in 2015

NSW Premier Mike Baird stated the government’s tourism focus while visiting the Chinese city of Shanghai. The visit is Mr Baird’s first international mission as NSW Premier.

The Premier described China as “a priority market for NSW”. He also said the NSW Government will work with the Chinese travel industry to achieve its goal of doubling overnight visitor expenditure by 2020.

This year’s Vivid Sydney Festival was a highlight of the winter tourism industry in NSW. The 18-day event contributed more than $41 million into the NSW visitor economy

Vivid Sydney 2014 attracted more than 1.43 million people, a 79% increase on 2013. From a total of 30,000 international visitors, 10,000 travel packages were purchased by Chinese visitors - a 35% increase on last year. Premier Baird said he expects this number to further increase in 2015.

“I’m in Shanghai to extend an invitation to Chinese wholesale and retail agents to come to Sydney to experience this beautiful festival first-hand as part of the Vivid Sydney 2015 China Agents Familiarisation Trip”, Mr Baird said.

“I expect this to be the biggest Chinese tourism delegation ever to arrive in Sydney as the NSW Government ramps up its promotion of NSW in China”.